Brace Yourself Every Time You Log In To Facebook

I think I liked Facebook more when I first got it as a sophomore in high school. 

From what I remember of it, I scrolled through funny status updates and pictures of my friends. Now, every time I log in to Facebook, it's BAM - someone is engaged... BAM - someone is having a baby....BAM - someone got married. BAM - someone got an awesome new job. BAM, BAM, BAM. Frankly, it's exhausting.

I think that scrolling through all of these "BAM-moments" makes us question where we all are in our lives. My grandma jokes about something she calls "Facebook envy", which she explains as the feeling you get when comparing yourself to the awesome lives portrayed on social media. It's hard not to, although "comparison is the thief of joy." It's hard to wonder why we're not getting the crazy job or having babies or getting married or winning the amazing trip, etc, etc, etc. 

What people don't see on Facebook, though, is real life. People, including me, post the good things (duh). Who wants to see the misery I felt during that awful hike or the blueberries I splatted all over the floor while making my Instagram-worthy smoothie. Instead, I post the beautiful view from atop the mountain and the perfectly filtered photo of my healthy smoothie with hashtags like #cleaneating and #beachbod. Facebook (and Instagram and Twitter, etc), for that matter, are glorified versions of all of our lives. I'm not downplaying the excitement of the BAM-moments; instead, I'm reminding us that the BAM-moments are all we see these days because they're the most glamorous. 

So, tread lightly, social media world, and keep reminding yourself that your life is pretty awesome.